In Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded and obligated its largest-amount ever directly to U.S.-based small businesses: Approximately $685.6 million of a total portfolio of $4.8 billion in prime contracts. This translates to approximately 14.02 percent of prime awards, which significantly exceeds USAID’s FY 2018 Small Business (Prime Awards) Goal of 12 percent, and represents a 34-percent increase since FY 2015. The previous record-setting year was FY 2017, when the Agency awarded $634 million to small businesses, or 13.18 percent of a total of $4.8 billion obligated in prime contracts. USAID’s contracts with U.S. small businesses reflect relationships with a diverse array of capable small disadvantaged companies; firms owned by women and service-disabled veterans; and those located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones, or HUBZones.

In October 2017, USAID expanded its internal U.S. Small Business Goaling Program to its overseas Missions, which procure and implement the majority of USAID’s contracts. In doing so, the Agency prioritized the participation of small businesses in its contracting process, and increased its engagement with the small-business community. These efforts are part of an overall Agency effort under its Transformation to reform its procurement processes, including through the expansion and diversification of its pool of implementing partners.